Diseases, weather and low prices affect Costa Rican orange industry

Published Jun 16, 2021

Tridge summary

The orange sector in Costa Rica is facing a crisis due to the impact of pests and diseases, most notably the 'dragón amarillo' or yellow dragon, and a significant drop in international prices for concentrated juice. These factors, along with the pandemic's effect on the market, have led to a decrease in the planted area and production, and have increased costs for producers. The situation is causing concern for both producers and industry, with potential for a complete collapse.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The appearance of pests and diseases, in particular the ‘dragón amarillo’ (yellow dragon), the impact of the weather and a sharp drop in international prices, have the orange sector in a difficult situation. Producers and industry fear a collapse. The backyard trees, that is, those located in the houses and that are used for self-consumption, become a strong source of transmission of the yellow dragon, which caused havoc in the orange plantations. Photo: Albert Marín. The combined factors, plus the effect of the pandemic on the international market, brought this productive sector to a critical condition, according to the representatives of large companies. The combination of factors had its greatest manifestation when Tico Frut presented a preventive agreement, before the Bankruptcy Court of San José, with the objective of restructuring a debt of US$165.9 million. This was on March 11, 2021. Since the Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening disease appeared in Costa Rica in ...

Source: Agropages